Committed To Growing And Sourcing Ingredients From Our and Arizona's Premier Farms, Fields, Pastures And Trees.

About Merkin Vineyards

Merkin Vineyards is on a mission to come as close as we can to delivering a 100% Arizona experience to our extended family and community. It’s a mission few would choose to take on, but essential when Regional, Sustainable, and a Sense of Place are the goal.

All of our wines are produced by MJ & Jennifer Keenan, Tim White, Erin Center, and our team from our 110 acres of Estate Vineyards in the Verde Valley and Willcox, AZ.

Our fruits and vegetables are farmed by Randee Larremore and Maynards father, Mike Keenan, in our Verde Valley Greenhouses, Gardens, and Orchards. What we can’t grow, we source from local Arizona farmers.

Our House Made Gelati and Sorbetti are hand crafted by Kelley E. Foy. We use Arizona produced Dairy and fresh ingredients grown in the Merkin Vineyards Greenhouses, Gardens, and Orchards.

Mother Nature beats the drum to which we march and jump. So our menu remains flexible and changes weekly or even daily depending on her whims. It’s a challenge and journey we gladly embrace and we sincerely hope you join us in our quest.

The newest member of the Merkin Vineyards family: the Merkin Gelato Wagon. Bringing you our farm-to-table gelato and sorbet. Debuts this Saturday at the OTC Muse Gallery in Old Town Cottonwood from 4-9 pm.

Our fall newsletter shares the origin story of the mystery grape that our owner/winemaker Maynard Keenan found growing near the "Tamale Ladies"' old house in Jerome. Subscribe today and stay up to date on all of the happenings and stories behind our wines.
https://t.co/4c5pLEUEbi

Merkin Vineyards & Caduceus Cellars are making high elevation wines out of predominantly Italian and Spanish varieties. Owner and Winemaker, MJ Keenan, along with his wife, Jennifer, and Winemaker Tim White, are producing roughly 7000 cases a year in their tiny underground concrete facility known as The Bunker.

Caduceus Cellars is predominantly Italian and Spanish varieties grown throughout the Verde Valley in Yavapai County.

The Merkin Vineyards wines are produced from fruit grown on our 70 acre Buhl Memorial Vineyard in Willcox, Arizona.

Merkin has 3 programs.
The Chupacabra program is produced using mostly French varieties.
Shinola is the Italian program.
Tarzan/Jane is our Spanish/Iberian program.

Production is combination of open topped 1/2 ton bin wild/ambient fermentation, stainless steel, submerged cap, extended maceration, and modified carbonic maceration for the Reds, and whole cluster pressed stainless steel cold fermentation for most the Whites and Rose’s. We also have several Malvasia Bianca Orange wine programs. This is the epitome of a boutique owner owned and operated winery.

Expression comes in many forms. Let ours be known as The Liquid Love Letters & Time Capsules.

Our mission is to accurately capture and bottle sunlight and fleeting moments from specific places.
Your mission is to set them free. Our gift to you and yours. In Vino Veritas.

MJ Keenan - Winemaker/Owner

MJ Keenan is a Grammy award-winning vocalist for the internationally revered music acts Tool, A Perfect Circle, and the multimedia cabaret troupe Puscifer. Keenan, a veteran of the U.S. Army, is the winemaker and owner of Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, with 110 acres under vine throughout the state. He is the owner, winemaker, and founder of the Arizona based wine makers Co-Op - Four Eight Wineworks, and a founding board member of the Arizona Vignerons Alliance, a quality control and winegrowers data collection collective. He has been a participating member of the Arizona Winegrowers Association since 2009. Keenan, 54, was born in Ohio, and grew up in West Michigan working in and on the local orchards and farms. He has lived in Jerome, Arizona since 1995, has two children, and runs his multiple business’ with the indispensable help of his wife Jennifer Lei Li Keenan.

Jim Cunningham - Assitant Manager

Jim Cunningham is Assitant Manager of Merkin Old Town and brings 20+ years of food & beverage experience. He graduated from Yavapai College in 2017 with a degree in Viticulture and Enology and is passionate about Arizona’s growing wine industry. Jim was born in Illinois, grew up in Ohio, but has called Arizona home since 2000.